France’s student unrest escalates as schools close and arrests rise

Violent unrest involving students continued across France on Friday, with riot police clashing with teenagers in several cities and about 400 high schools remaining closed. Authorities said roughly 2,000 people had been arrested since the protests began, while streets in cities including Strasbourg, Marseille, Rennes and Paris saw tear gas, fireworks and fires. The demonstrations began over complaints about crowded classrooms, teacher shortages, long school days and poor facilities. But as the protests intensified, the government and opposition parties turned the unrest into a political dispute, with officials accusing hardleft groups of influencing the movement and those groups rejecting responsibility. French ministers said the damage to schools has been extensive, and rights groups have raised concerns about police tactics against minors. The unrest is also starting to affect neighboring Belgium, where student demonstrations were reported in Liège and some schools were closed.